Precipitation Variability and Food Security

The break out group began with a roundtable discussion in response to the question: What are the key issues in understanding the linkage between precipitation variability and food security? The responses included: Agriculture: Property rightsCrop selection and rotationsAgro-forestryTechnologyWater: Intensive, efficient use in irrigationParticipatory water basin managementLong-term changes due to land use and climateDrought and desertificationFood security: Traditional means of coping in agrarian societiesGlobal distribution of agriculture and globalisationUrbanisationUncertainty: Precipitation and nutrient flowsMarketsSpatial and temporal patternsResearch: Barriers to the integration of social and natural science The group then had five presentations, on themes related to the above issues. A general discussion period followed the presentations. The first two presentations set the scene.